Non-stop transportation system

ABSTRACT

A passenger carrier of a transportation system includes a main body to carry a first group of passengers, a detachable departure compartment, detachably coupled to the main body, to carry a second group of passengers, and a processing device to issue a control signal to trigger a decoupling between the departure compartment and the main body, allowing the main body to travel along a first path without stop at a station and allowing the departure compartment to travel along a second path to enter and stop at the station.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent applicationNo. 62/546,926 filed Aug. 17, 2017, the content of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a transportation system, and inparticular, to a passenger carrier including one or more detachablecompartments that allows passengers to disembark and/or board thepassenger carrier while the main body of the passenger carrier travelscontinuously without stopping at a station.

BACKGROUND

Transportation systems, such as the high-speed railroad system, mayinclude trains that travel from a start station to a final station withmultiple stops at intermediate stations in between. When a train stopsat an intermediate station, some of the passengers on board maydisembark from the train. Similarly, passengers waiting at the stationmay board the train to travel to their respective destination stations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be understood more fully from the detaileddescription given below and from the accompanying drawings of variousimplementations of the disclosure. The drawings, however, should not betaken to limit the disclosure to the specific implementations, but arefor explanation and understanding only.

FIG. 1 illustrates a transportation system according to animplementation of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates the disengagement of the coupling device between adeparture passenger compartment and the main body of the train accordingto an implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a train station in accordance to an implementation ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates the engagement of the coupling device between anattaching passenger compartment and the main body of the train accordingto an implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 depicts a block diagram of a computer system operating on thetransportation system in accordance with one or more aspects of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One objective of a mass transportation system is to reduce the time totransport a passenger from an origination station to a destinationstation. One way to reduce the time is to increase the travel speed ofthe transportation system. This type of solutions include high-speedtrains. However, existing technology may impose an upper limit on thetravel speed. Each significant increase of the speed limit may requirevery expensive upgrades to the railroad infrastructures.

Because of the nature of mass transportation systems, the intermediatestations between the start station and the final station are necessaryfor passengers whose destinations are those intermediate stations.Although a train may include multiple compartments (e.g., cars), thetrain travels as an integrated object that stops at each station toallow passengers to board and/or disembark. Every compartment of thetrain stops at all of these stations to allow passengers boarding anddeparture. These stops at the intermediate stations cause delays forthose long haul passengers that do not leave the train at theintermediate stations. The delays also include the time for deceleratingthe train to a full stop and accelerating the train from a full stop tothe cruising speed. These delays may increase the travel time for longhaul passengers and constitute a significant portion of the travel timefor passengers traveling on a high-speed railroad.

To overcome the above-noted and other deficiencies, implementations ofthe present disclosure include a transportation system that may providefor non-stop transportation for long haul passengers while allowinglocal passengers to depart the train at a station. Implementations ofthe disclosure may achieve non-stop travel for each passenger fromhis/her origination station to his/her destination station, whileallowing other passengers to depart at in-between stations. Thus,implementations of the disclosure may significantly reduce theindividual travel time for each passenger without the need to increasethe speed limit of the railroad system.

The transportation system in this disclosure includes an infrastructurethat is capable of moving passengers from one or more originationlocations to one or more destination locations. The passengers in thisdisclosure can be human objects, animals, or cargo. The transportationsystem can be operated by the government or by a private corporation.Examples of the transportation system may include the railroad system(including high-speed railroad system), metropolitan subway systems, bussystem, or any system that moves passengers. In some implementations,the transportation system may include tracks on which a passengercarrier (e.g., a train including a succession of cars) may transportpassengers between different stations.

In one implementation, the passenger carrier may include a succession ofinterconnected compartments traveling along a track. The succession ofcompartments may include one or more passenger departure compartments(referred to as the departure compartment) that are detachably coupledto the rest of the succession of compartments (referred to as the mainbody of the passenger carrier). As the passenger carrier is approachinga station, the group of passengers that are about to leave the train atthe station may stay at or move to the departure compartment while otherpassengers that travel beyond the station may stay at or move to themain body of the train. At a pre-determined location or time, anoperator of the train may issue a request (e.g., by pushing a controlbutton) that may send a control signal to a controller. Based on thecontrol signal, the controller may cause the decoupling between thedeparture compartment and the main body, wherein the decoupling eventmay occur at a cruising speed of the passenger carrier. After asuccessful separation between the departure compartment and the mainbody, the main body of the train may continue to travel along the tracktowards a next station without stopping at the current station, thussubstantially eliminating the station delays for those passengers on themain body of the train. In one implementation, the departure compartmentmay include a motor that may be driven by a second operator. The secondoperator may direct the departure compartment to a station platform sothat the group of arrival passengers may disembark from the departurecompartment at the station. In another implementation, the departurecompartment may include a self-driving system that may direct thedeparture compartment to the current station. The self-driving systemmay include sensors (e.g., video cameras and Lidar sensor) and acomputing system that implements artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms(e.g., neural networks) to guide the departure compartment to thecurrent station based on data captured by the sensors.

In one implementation, a second group of the passengers (referred to asdeparting passengers) may be waiting at the station for travelling withthe main body of the train. The departing passengers may already haveboarded a motorized compartment waiting at the station. Once the mainbody of the train decoupled from the departure compartment travels pastthe station, the motorized compartment with the second group ofdeparting passengers may chase down the main body of the train. When themotorized compartment carrying the second group of departing passengerscatches up with the main body of the train, an operator on the motorizedcompartment may operate the coupling device to couple the motorizedcompartment to the main body. Once the motorized compartment is securelycoupled to the main body of the train, the motorized compartment maybecome integral part of the train driven by the pilot operator of thetrain. In this way, passengers may arrive at and depart from the stationwithout adversely affecting the travel time of the passengers carried bythe main body of the train.

FIG. 1 illustrates a transportation system 10 according to animplementation of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1 as anon-limiting example, transportation system 10 may be a railroad systemincluding a track 12 and a passenger carrier (e.g., a train) 14.Passenger carrier 14 may include a pilot 16 that provides driving forceto the carrier. Pilot 16 can include any suitable types of engines suchas, for example, electrical motors, diesel engines, combined engines(electrical and diesel engines), or steam engines. Pilot 16 may drive asuccession of interconnected compartments 18, 20, 20 that carrypassengers. Pilot 16 and the succession of compartments 18, 20, 22 maybe interconnected using coupling device 24, 26, 28. For example, asshown in FIG. 1, pilot 16 may be coupled to compartment 18 usingcoupling device 28; compartment 18 may be coupled to compartment 20using coupling device 26; compartment 20 may be coupled to compartment22 using coupling device 24.

In one implementation, compartments 18, 20, 22 may be connected by apassage way 30, 32 through which passengers may move between twoadjacent compartments. As shown in FIG. 1, passage way 30 may connectcompartments 20 and 22; passage way 32 may connect compartments 18 and20. Thus, passengers may move freely between compartments 18, 20, 22while the passenger carrier 14 travels along track 12.

In one implementation, passenger carrier 14 may be divided into twoparts including a main body and the detachable compartment 22 (referredto as departure compartment 22). The main body of passenger carrier 14may be composed of pilot 16 and compartments 18, 20. When passengercarrier 14 approaches a station, a public announcement may instruct thegroup of passengers whose destination is the next station to move fromthe main body to departure compartment 22, and instruct other passengersto move to other compartments 18, 20 of the main body. When the group ofarrival passengers have moved to departure compartment 22, an operatorof the passenger carrier may shut down passage way 30 to prevent furtherpassenger movements between compartments 20 and 22. Thus, departurecompartment 22 is ready to be disengaged from the main body.

In one implementation, the operator may issue a request (e.g., bypushing a control button) to separate departure compartment 22 from themain body. The operator may issue the request responsive to determiningthat the passenger carrier has reached a pre-determined location for thedisengagement or a pre-determined time for the disengagement.Alternatively, the request to separate may be automatically generated bya processing device onboard of the passenger carrier based on thedetermination that the passenger carrier has reached the separationpoint or time. Responsive to receiving the request, the processingdevice (as shown in FIG. 5) on pilot 16 may transmit a signal eitherthrough a wire or wirelessly to a controller circuit that controls theengagement of coupling device 24. Responsive to receiving the signal,the controller circuit may trigger the disengagement of coupling device24 to separate departure compartment 22 from the main body.

FIG. 2 illustrates the disengagement of the coupling device between adetaching passenger car for passenger discharge and the main body of thepassenger carrier according to an implementation of the presentdisclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, compartment 20 may include a controller34 to control the engagement and disengagement of coupling device 24.Controller 34 may include a signal receiver (not shown) to receiveelectric signals from a transmitter located generated by the processingdevice. In one implementation, the processing device may be located inpilot 16 operated by an operator of the passenger carrier. The electricsignal may indicate a request from the operator of pilot 16 to separatedeparture compartment 22 from the main body. Responsive to receiving theelectric signal, controller 34 may trigger the disengagement of couplingdevice 24.

As shown in the detailed view in FIG. 2, coupling device 24 may includelock members 36 and a pin 38. Lock members 36 can be a clamp that issecurely attached to compartment 20 and controlled by controller 34using electromagnetic force. Pin 38 may be securely attached todeparture compartment 22. When departure compartment 22 is coupled tothe main body, lock members 36 may be securely locked onto pin 38.Responsive to receiving the electric signal to disengage coupling device24, controller 34 may trigger lock members 36 to unlock from pin 38,thus separating departure compartment 22 from the main body.

Implementations of the present disclosure may allow arrival passengersto leave the passenger carrier at a current station and allow departingpassengers waiting at the current station to board the passenger carrierwhile the main body travels non-stop. FIG. 3 illustrates a station inaccordance to an implementation of the present disclosure. As shown inFIG. 3, the area of a station 50 may include track 14 that passesthrough the station. Further, station 50 may include access tracks 40,42 that are connected to the main track 14 through track switches 48A,48B. Access track 40 may be connected to main track 14 via track switch48A to allow departure compartment 22 to enter platform 44 afterdeparture compartment 22 is separated from the main body of passengercarrier 12. Similarly, access track 42 may be connected to main track 14via track switch 48B to allow motorized compartment 46 to enter maintrack 14 and catch up with the main body of the passenger carrier.

In one implementation, after the main body is separated from compartment22 and the main body has passed track switch 48A, a control device (notshown) that operates track switch 48A may switch the main track to alignwith access track 40. Thus, an operator may drive departure compartment22 to platform 44 and let the arrival passengers thereon to disembark atplatform 44.

At platform 44, passengers intending to depart station 50 via thepassenger carrier may already have boarded compartment 46. Anotheroperator may drive the motorized compartment 46 to a position near trackswitch 48B. Once the main body of the passenger carrier passes trackswitch 48B, the control device controlling track switches may triggertrack switch 48B to connect access track 42 with main track 14, thusallowing motorized compartment to enter main track 14 and catch up withthe main body.

Once motorized compartment 46 catches up with the main body, controller34 may trigger coupling device 24 to connect compartment 46 with themain body. FIG. 4 illustrates the engagement of the coupling devicebetween compartment 46 and the main body of the passenger carrieraccording to an implementation of the present disclosure. As shown inFIG. 4, motorized compartment 46 may travel at a faster speed than thatof the main body to catch up with the main body. Once approaching themain body, the operator of motorized compartment 46 may drive atsubstantially the same (or slightly faster) speed as the main body.Responsive to determining that compartment 46 is ready to be connected,controller 34 may trigger lock members 36 to lock onto pin 38 which issecured attached to compartment 46, thus using coupling device 24 toconnect compartment 46 to the main body. Passengers on compartment 46may then travel to the next station as part of the passenger carrier.

Passenger carrier 14 may include a computer system to issue request tocontroller 34. FIG. 5 depicts a block diagram of a computer systemoperating in accordance with one or more aspects of the presentdisclosure.

In certain implementations, computer system 500 may be connected (e.g.,via a network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), an intranet, anextranet, or the Internet) to other computer systems. Computer system500 may operate in the capacity of a server or a client computer in aclient-server environment, or as a peer computer in a peer-to-peer ordistributed network environment. Computer system 500 may be provided bya personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a PersonalDigital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, aserver, a network router, switch or bridge, or any device capable ofexecuting a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specifyactions to be taken by that device. Further, the term “computer” shallinclude any collection of computers that individually or jointly executea set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more ofthe methods described herein.

In a further aspect, the computer system 500 may include a processingdevice 502, a volatile memory 504 (e.g., random access memory (RAM)), anon-volatile memory 506 (e.g., read-only memory (ROM) orelectrically-erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM)), and a data storagedevice 516, which may communicate with each other via a bus 508.

Processing device 502 may be provided by one or more processors such asa general purpose processor (such as, for example, a complex instructionset computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing(RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW)microprocessor, a microprocessor implementing other types of instructionsets, or a microprocessor implementing a combination of types ofinstruction sets) or a specialized processor (such as, for example, anapplication specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmablegate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), or a networkprocessor).

Computer system 500 may further include a network interface device 522.Computer system 500 also may include a video display unit 510 (e.g., anLCD), an alphanumeric input device 512 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursorcontrol device 514 (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generation device 520.

Data storage device 516 may include a non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium 524 on which may store instructions 526 encoding any oneor more of the methods or functions described herein.

Instructions 526 may also reside, completely or partially, withinvolatile memory 504 and/or within processing device 502 during executionthereof by computer system 500, hence, volatile memory 504 andprocessing device 502 may also constitute machine-readable storagemedia.

While computer-readable storage medium 524 is shown in the illustrativeexamples as a single medium, the term “computer-readable storage medium”shall include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized ordistributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that storethe one or more sets of executable instructions. The term“computer-readable storage medium” shall also include any tangiblemedium that is capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions forexecution by a computer that cause the computer to perform any one ormore of the methods described herein. The term “computer-readablestorage medium” shall include, but not be limited to, solid-statememories, optical media, and magnetic media.

The methods, components, and features described herein may beimplemented by discrete hardware components or may be integrated in thefunctionality of other hardware components such as ASICS, FPGAs, DSPs orsimilar devices. In addition, the methods, components, and features maybe implemented by firmware modules or functional circuitry withinhardware devices. Further, the methods, components, and features may beimplemented in any combination of hardware devices and computer programcomponents, or in computer programs.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, terms such as “receiving,”“associating,” “determining,” “updating” or the like, refer to actionsand processes performed or implemented by computer systems thatmanipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic)quantities within the computer system registers and memories into otherdata similarly represented as physical quantities within the computersystem memories or registers or other such information storage,transmission or display devices. Also, the terms “first,” “second,”“third,” “fourth,” etc. as used herein are meant as labels todistinguish among different elements and may not have an ordinal meaningaccording to their numerical designation.

Examples described herein also relate to an apparatus for performing themethods described herein. This apparatus may be specially constructedfor performing the methods described herein, or it may comprise ageneral purpose computer system selectively programmed by a computerprogram stored in the computer system. Such a computer program may bestored in a computer-readable tangible storage medium.

The methods and illustrative examples described herein are notinherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus.Various general purpose systems may be used in accordance with theteachings described herein, or it may prove convenient to construct morespecialized apparatus to perform method 500 and/or each of itsindividual functions, routines, subroutines, or operations. Examples ofthe structure for a variety of these systems are set forth in thedescription above.

The above description is intended to be illustrative, and notrestrictive. Although the present disclosure has been described withreferences to specific illustrative examples and implementations, itwill be recognized that the present disclosure is not limited to theexamples and implementations described. The scope of the disclosureshould be determined with reference to the following claims, along withthe full scope of equivalents to which the claims are entitled.

What is claimed is:
 1. A passenger carrier of a transportation system,comprising: a main body to carry a first group of passengers; adeparture compartment, detachably coupled to the main body, to carry asecond group of passengers; and a processing device to issue a controlsignal to trigger a decoupling between the departure compartment and themain body, allowing the main body to travel along a first path withoutstopping at a station and allowing the departure compartment to travelalong a second path to enter and stop at the station.
 2. The passengercarrier of claim 1, further comprising: a passage way to connect themain body and the departure compartment, wherein the passage way allowsthe first group of passengers and the second group of passengers to movebetween the main body and the departure compartment.
 3. The passengercarrier of claim 2, wherein responsive to determining that the passengercarrier approaches the station, the processing device is to generate apublic announcement to advise passengers whose destination is thestation to move to the departure compartment and passengers whosedestination is beyond the station to move to the main body.
 4. Thepassenger carrier of claim 1, wherein determining that the passengercarrier approaches the station comprises determining that the passengercarrier reaches one of a pre-determined location or a pre-determinedtime.
 5. The passenger carrier of claim 1, wherein a motorizedcompartment is to: depart from the station, traveling along a third pathand carrying a third group of passengers; catch up with the main bodyafter the decoupling between the departure compartment and the mainbody; and couple to the main body to travel along the first path to anext station.
 6. The passenger carrier of claim 1, wherein thetransportation system is a train system, and the passenger carrier is atrain, wherein the first path comprises a first train track, the secondpath comprises a second train track, and wherein after the decouplingbetween the departure compartment and the main body, the departurecompartment is switched to the second path to allow the departurecompartment to enter the station.
 7. The passenger carrier of clam 1,wherein the decoupling between the departure compartment and the mainbody occurs while the passenger carrier travels along the first path ata cruising speed.
 8. A highspeed train system, comprising: a traincomprising: a main body to carry a first group of passengers that aredestined beyond a station; a departure compartment, detachably coupledto the main body, to carry a second group of passengers that aredestined at the station; and a processing device, responsive toapproaching the station, to issue a control signal to trigger adecoupling between the departure compartment and the main body; a maintrack on which the main body of the train is to travel, without stoppingat the station, toward a next station; and an access track, switchablyconnected to the main track, that is switched to connect to the maintrack after the decoupling to allow the departure compartment travels onthe access track into the station.
 9. The highspeed train system ofclaim 8, further comprising: a motorized compartment to: depart from thestation, traveling along a second access track and carrying a thirdgroup of passengers; catch up with the main body after the decouplingbetween the departure compartment and the main body; and couple to themain body to travel along the first track to a next station.
 10. Thehighspeed train system of claim 8, wherein the highspeed train systemallows each passenger to arrive at a respective destination withoutstopping for other passengers' departure from the train.